Echoes of Chaos
by Benjamin Medrano
Released: Apr 06, 2026
Genre: Science Fiction
Why this book and why now?
As book six in the series, it needed to come out, and I desperately wanted to return to Evelyn.
What is a significant way your book has changed since either the first draft or the way you thought it would turn out when you first had the inspiration?
A ton has changed. Originally, there wasn’t going to be much to Part 1. I was going to go through things quickly and move on, then it turned out the entire section had more depth than I ever expected. I’ll also state that Brightdawn was far more peaceful in the original visit…
How does it feel to finally share this book with readers?
Wonderful. I struggled to write the book so much, so finally getting the chance to share was wonderful. I particularly enjoy part 4 of the book, which I won’t spoil because those are MASSIVE spoilers.
One of your main characters is planning a romantic night. Tell us about it.
Hmm. Evelyn planning romance. Step 1: Panic internally. Step 2: Which of her lovers does this involve? Step 3: Ponder fleeing for the hills. Step 4: Get chocolate ice cream for most of them, strawberry for Vania, vanilla for Zelirana, and tweak the meals. Step 5: Magically alter the flowers in the garden deck to glow, lower the light level to where it’s a near-twilight, create an illusion of the Astral across the ceiling. Step 6: Arrange music for dancing. All and desperately hope that no one forces her into a dress.
Which character was the most fun to write, and which was the hardest?
Perhaps surprisingly, Fya was the hardest. Despite djinni being rather eccentric, this means that coming up with something which makes sense for their relative insanity rather than going slapstick comedy is more difficult than you might expect. Most fun was definitely Nadia, and how she deflates the egos of several characters without trying.
What song does your character put on to start your book launch party?
Rise, by Origa/Yoko Kanno. In part because it’s just the sort of beat she’s down for, and fits the theme of the setting in several places.
If your book had a scent, what would it smell like?
Sugar, spice, and ozone from a plasma cannon.
Do you outline your books in detail, or do you prefer to discover the story as you write?
I usually know a few scenes I want, and just discover as I go. Then get my nose out of joint when the characters do things I don’t expect.
Do you have any writing rituals or habits?
I put on music and begin playing it before I start writing. Preferably on my record player, which allows me to do roughly 15-minute writing ‘sprints’ for each side of the record. What can sometimes depend on the series, but more often it’s one of a bunch. I mostly listen to bands like Amaranth, Disturbed, Nightwish, Exit Eden, Linkin Park, and T.A.T.U., but I range beyond them. I have Enya in the rotation as well.
